Thirst
by CatherineGeorgianna
Summary: Bella and Jacob reunite after Jacob has been on a mission with the wolves for a year. Jake remembers a sweet little girl, and Renesmee remembers her brother-like best friend, however their memories serve no justice to what they see when they meet again..


Exhaustion was the only thing Renesmee could feel. Everyday became more and more tiring, mostly due to her accelerated growth rate. This was not helped by the hunt she took with her uncle Emmett earlier that day. Lying nonchalantly across her golden silk canopied bed, she stared at her ceiling admiring the deep royal blue with it's silver painted constellations. In her six years of life she'd come to take comfort in her room, dimly lit, looking like the bedroom of a middle age princess. Being at the top of her grandparents house, her father could not reach his mind far enough to catch her thoughts, here she could truly be alone, even in her own head. Though she relished in her privacy she still could not sort out the weavings of her thoughts, so many emotions and memories all swirling together like a pot of stew, while she didn't really know what type of stew it was at all. Each time she blinked away from her starry shelter, the face of a friend flashed brightly in her mind. Jacob Black.

She sat up abruptly after saying his name aloud in her head. Rubbing her eyes and resting her head in her hands she tried to ignore how much she missed him. It didn't make sense just how much that was. Almost a year he'd been away now, with him being her closest friend she knew she should miss him a considerable amount, but not as much as she did. Not to where he haunted every idle thought she had. She moaned in an overly dramatic fashion as she plopped back down on her bed. She turned her head over to the night stand and contemplated reading the letters again that were stored in its top drawers. Rationalizing with herself that it wasn't too pathetic to read them for the 300th time, she reached over, pulled out the drawer and grabbed the ribbon wrapped stack of worn envelopes containing letters sent from Jake. She pulled a random letter from the middle of the stack, sighed, and unfolded it. Seeing his sloppy hand writing made her smile. She reread the letter taking in every sentence.

_Hey Nessie,_

_I just realized that the only time I'm shifting back to human form now is to write you. It would be so much more convenient just to call, but we're never around any phones out here in the woods and carrying a cell is just too impractical. I miss your voice, although by the time I get back I'm sure it will sound completely different from the one I'm use to. You're growing up too fast, wish I could be there for it. I keep thinking that we'll be heading back to Forks soon, but each time it seems like we're finished up here we find another vampire we have to track and Sam is hell bent on finishing our work before we return home. "No point in delaying the mission on visiting home" he keeps saying. I guess it makes sense though, once I'm back I want to be back for good. I'm not sure exactly where we are, somewhere in Canada I think. I'm starting to get restless, I'm missing my friends and family too much. Especially you. I can't wait to see you, it helps keep me going out here. I'll write again soon-_

_Yours, Jacob_

Yours she reread. She still hadn't understood the meaning of that valediction, whether the possessiveness of such word was factual. A part of her squirmed around at the thought of being his, a feeling she had yet to tap. She folded the letter back up and reached for another when she heard someone approaching the room. A split second later, a knock came.

"Nessie, can I come in?" Nessie sighed in relief when she heard the voice of her mother. So long as no one was reading her thoughts, namely her father Edward, she could play off that nothing important was on her mind, just your ordinary day dreams. "Nessie?"

"Yeah, mom, it's cool." she replied in the utmost adolescent voice.

"My my, don't you sound ready for your junior year." My mom remarked in a slightly patronizing tone as she shut the door behind her.

"Mom, don't you think it's time to get over it? I know you wish you could have spent more time with 'young me' but you should be happy enough that you got me at all, you know?" Nessie exasperated.

"I know, I know, I just don't want you growing up too fast. You're only six, you shouldn't be picking out bras you should be picking out barbies." Her mother sat down on the corner of her bed and slightly touched her face. Her eyes were full of a knowing sadness, and Nessie couldn't help but play sweet.

"Oh mom, look at it this way. We get to spend more time together now, actually get to be 'girlfriends' you know? Nessie and Bella, BFFs" She ended her last sentence with a sarcastic faux preppy voice. Bella rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Just because we're pretend peers in school does not me we are actually peers. I am mother, you are daughter. You listen to me." Nessie looked up at Bella with a playful smirk. It took only a second for Bella to give in and smile back. "Well, I just came up here to tell you goodnight. Your dad and I are going to go hunting for a little bit. You hunted today with Emmett right?"

"Yes mom, I'm fine."

"Okay good. Also...there was something else I wanted to tell you. Your dad spoke on the phone today with Leah. It looks like they're all finished up down there, Jacob and everyone else should be coming home within the week." Nessies heart paused for what seemed like a minute before it jumped into hyperactive speed half a second after. She felt like jumping up and screaming with joy, this she was able to restrain. She wasn't however, able to restrain the skin tearing smile that broke out across her face. Bella raised her eyebrows. "Whoa, are you having a heart attack? Or...is there a special reason that your happy about this news?" Nessie jumped up to look at her mother and quickly defended any subtle accusation.

"I mean, other than the obvious? No. He's my best friend mom, of course I'm going to be ecstatic that he's coming home" She crossed her arms and tried to look as firm as possible. Bella threw up her hands in a mock surrender and grinned.

"Okay, okay, he's your _best_ friend I got it...just sounds like your heart's about to pop out of your chest." Nessie put a hand to her heart and felt the quick thumping underneath her fingers.

"I'm just excited, more blood pumping through the pipes that's all" At this point Nessie was starting to be unconvinced of her own conviction.

"Well, your dad is waiting on me. He told me to tell you good night and that he loves you." She leaned down and kissed Nessie on the forhead.

"Good night mom, love you too, tell dad ditto"

"Ditto...right. I'll see you tomorrow kid" Nessie waited for the door to shut before she sighed in relief and embarrassment. After realizing that she had in fact been embarrassed, she became twice as confused when she couldn't figure out why she was embarrassed. Her mind kept trying to switch over to Jacob, with his dark tan skin, black hair, and perfect smile. Each time her thoughts drifted to him, she reverted to focusing on a book, or hunting strategy or...back on Jacob. She laid her arms by her side and sighed once more.

"What the hell is going on with me?" she spoke allowed to the empty room. She leaned over and switched off her dim lamp. The room flooded with a familiar darkness. She rolled onto her side and grabbed a nearby pillow. Smiling to herself about the news of the day, she drifted off to sleep dreaming of vampires, high school, and a particularly charming wolf.


End file.
